Some of the common symptoms that are seen in an average household in
our country include exacerbation of asthma (recognised infectious disease),
conjunctival inflammation, recurrent fevers (also called allergic fevers), chest
tightness and coughs and sneezes.Awareness about these kinds of indoor pollution
need to be created in order to educate people to take steps to rid themselves of
it. A little care will go a long way to a long and healthy life.

Shumaila has a sudden tendency to develop a cold. She falls sick without any
warning, and spends a major part of any month with coughs, sneezing and watery
eyes. Her mother is tired of her daughter's inability to cure a cold, and takes
special care to ensure that she doesn't take cold baths and that she has
adequate intake of vitamin C to keep the cold at bay. However, her problem
doesn't get any better.

Take for example the other day when Shumaila's mum was dusting the house.
Instead of lending her a hand, Shumaila was in bed, coughing and sneezing and
the mother though sympathetic was actually a bit angry that every time she went
on a spring cleaning session, her daughter fell sick and was unable to help.

A simple visit to a doctor to treat Shumaila's allergy to metals however shed
light onto this lingering problem that had bothered her for so long. Her doctor
after hearing about the frequent spells of her reaction took a few tests and
revealed the secret behind her illness. On further investigation it was found
that Shumaila was having the allergic reactions to the dust and moulds in her
house. The problem was aggravated on days when her mother dusted the house, when
she always used to fall sick because of increase in the pollutants that affected
her breathing and set off a natural allergic reaction to it.

It's not only dust and molds are the only factors that pose a health risk
within the houses of our country. Biological air pollutants are found to some
degree in every home, school, and workplace. Sources include outdoor air and
human occupants who shed viruses and bacteria, animal occupants (insects, other
arthropods, mammals) that shed allergens, and indoor surfaces and water
reservoirs where fungi and bacteria can grow. A number of factors allow
biological agents to grow and be released into the air.

This is especially true of a climate where there is high relative humidity,
and that encourages house dust mite populations to increase and allows fungal
growth on damp surfaces.

Mite and fungus contamination can be caused by flooding, continually damp
carpet (which may occur when carpet is installed on poorly ventilated room
floors), inadequate exhaust of bathrooms, or kitchen-generated moisture.
Appliances such as humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air conditioners, and drip pans
under cooling coils (as in refrigerators), support the growth of bacteria and
fungi.

The common problems that lead to the above becoming a reason for cause in our
country is lack of knowledge regarding these. Bathrooms are poorly ventilated in
countries as ours, not very hygienic in their build-up, or use -- there are too
many old buildings, too little access to sunlight and lack of ventilation.

Components of mechanical heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC)
systems may also serve as reservoirs or sites of microbial amplification. These
include air intakes near potential sources of contamination such as standing
water (potholes on roads, ponds and ditches during the rainy season), organic
debris or bird droppings (aplenty in gardens, roads and fields), or integral
parts of the mechanical system itself, such as various cooling coils, or
condensate drain pans. Dust and debris may be deposited in the duct work or
mixing boxes of the air handler.

Biological agents in indoor air are known to cause three types of human
disease: infections, where pathogens invade the human tissues; hypersensitivity
diseases, where specific activation of the immune system causes disease; and
toxicosis, where biologically produced chemical toxins cause direct toxic
effects. In addition, exposure to conditions conducive to biological
contamination (e.g., dampness, water damage) has been related to nonspecific
upper and lower respiratory symptoms.

Some of the common symptoms that are seen in an average household in our
country include exacerbation of asthma (recognised infectious disease),
conjunctival inflammation, recurrent fevers (also called allergic fevers), chest
tightness and coughs and sneezes.

Awareness about this kinds of indoor pollution need to be created in order to
educate people to take steps to rid themselves of it. A little care will go a
long way to a long and healthy life.